


did you tell him?

by gachacrown



Series: misukazu week 2021! [7]
Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: +3Ghosts (A3!), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 02:35:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30031713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gachacrown/pseuds/gachacrown
Summary: "Aoi.. you don't have to tell him yourself you know. We all can—"Aoi interrupted Sora with a shake of his head and several waves of his hands."No no no. It's fine. You said it, didn't you? He likes me, and maybe I like him too, and that's why I should tell him. For both of us."( misukazu week day 7 - kousei/aoi )
Relationships: Ikaruga Misumi/Miyoshi Kazunari, kizu kousei/mochizuki aoi
Series: misukazu week 2021! [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2191824
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	did you tell him?

_"Did you ever think what a selfish thing you did, in loving him?"_

"Our final practice," Kousei smiled with his hands cupping Aoi's. The world was a strange place. Strange in that: Kousei, a living, human teenage boy, who could see the ghosts that shared the same ambitions and passions as him, was also able to touch and hold them like he would any other human being— but not all the time. "I'm excited for tomorrow. Aren't you?"

Aoi gulped and avoided Kousei's innocent eyes. The infatuation got a bit too far; the attachment to a human was uncalled for. But how could Aoi resist when Kousei committed himself to bettering their little band of friends for the competition? And how would Aoi forget how Kousei approached him in between sessions to make corny jokes and pet cats together with?

"..Hey, it's okay to be nervous," Kousei's eyebrows furrowed in concern.

_Tell him. Now._

But what was Aoi supposed to tell him? That, on the day of the competition, should he get the closure he never had since the last moments of his breathing life, he may have to part ways from Kousei, never to see each other again?

Why did he sign up for this?

"Sorry, I—" Aoi's voice fell. "I've wanted to do this for so long. Even before my friends that.. left."

Kousei's smile was so, so full of warmth. There was no way he could do it. 

_Tell him. Before it's too late_.

"This is great then! More than great, actually." When they first met, Kousei had this look of defeat on him that seemed so pitiful. The joy on his face now was leagues different. Aoi couldn't ruin that. 

But he had to.

"I need to tell you something," They both said this in unison, exchanging shocked looks; and Kousei was the one that laughed. 

"Do you want to go first?"

"No, it's.. fine."

"Great!" Kousei beamed, and then suddenly turned sheepish. "Mine is kinda.. you need to know this anyway—"

_He needs to know this too._

"—It might have been obvious but, I figured since it's the day before the competition.."

Aoi felt like he knew where this was going. He'd imagine this a million times both before and after the accident, because he was a sap that wanted to know how it felt to love and be loved — the special kind that meant sharing a kiss under the bedsheets in a sleepover party.

"I like you, Aoi," Kousei said, finally. His voice faltered; a little glimpse of the teenager that was afraid of an incoming rejection. "You're a ghost, and that.. _really_ sucks. But even when we first met, you've always stuck out to me, Aoi."

And Aoi felt something flutter in him. It couldn't be his heart — he was a ghost, for crying out loud. But after all this time of being a ghost, he never felt the desire to be alive again as strong as now, just to return the warmth Kousei constantly offered him.

"Kousei, I—"

_You have to tell him._

"I like you too," He smiled back, hoping his words and expressions alone gave that warmth. But there was sincerity behind them, thank goodness, and Kousei, in his childish excitement, only widened his eyes that practically glowed in the afternoon sunset.

"Really?!" Aoi nodded in earnest - because he did. And Kousei was so cute, really— "Then, you wouldn't mind going to watch the, um, fireworks after the competition, right?"

Aoi blinked.

"After-?"

"Yeah, I mean," Kousei let go of one hand to scratch at the back of his neck. "Even if we win or lose, I want to see the fireworks with you. For real this time, too. Just the two of us."

The hesitation must have shown on Aoi's face, because Kousei kicked the dirt shyly. "It doesn't have to be just us actually. I'd _like_ it to be just us, but Minato and Sora can come with. I don't mind."

"It's- it's fine," Aoi said, rapidly blinking. "I don't know.. maybe we can figure it out tomorrow."

Kousei's eyes shone in the approval, and his hold tightened on Aoi (unless Aoi was imagining it?). The grin that started to spread on his face felt contagious. Aoi could feel himself smiling at how cute he could get.

_Tell him._

"Ok!" The smile settled to something more friendly before Kousei's attentive eyes searched for something in Aoi. "Did you.. want to tell me something?"

_Tell him_

_Tell him tell him tell him tell him_

"I— actually—" he gulped. This was it.

Kousei leaned closer just to hear him more. By no means was Aoi quiet. It was just the nature of lovestruck youths to be so overwhelming.

"I wanted to say _I_ like _you_ ," Aoi suddenly said.

The reaction he got from Kousei was endearing; a little rosy tint on his cheeks and lowered eyes in embarrassment at the fact he was suddenly on the receiving end of it. It had Aoi laughing. "But, I guess you beat me to it."

Their hands were lowered so that they were parallels to their waists, with Kousei holding on as if he was afraid of Aoi leaving as soon as he let go.

Aoi knew the feeling. 

"I wouldn't know how to react if you told me, actually," Kousei mumbled, suddenly conscious and looking down again. When Aoi followed his line of sight, he couldn't help but fondly smile at how Kousei drew little triangles on his hand with his thumb. 

_Well._

"Come on," Aoi shook their arms to lighten him up. "You can just do the same as I did, right? Say it with me now~ I like you too, Aoi!"

Kousei took a deep breath and nodded. "I like you too Aoi!"

Aoi wasn't sure if his cheeks could turn red. He felt his body suddenly lift from the floor like an imitation of his heart doing a backflip. 

He couldn't delay this any longer. The clock was ticking. 

_Tell him._

Aoi decided he had to. But he had to approach it slowly. Kousei was still a teenager after all, brimming with joy and excitement for the events to come.

(It was an excuse to delay what must be done)

"This is.. weird, isn't it? I'm dead, you're alive. This can't be something we can work out, especially when.." He lowered his voice when his eyes met Kousei's curious ones. "You have a life to live, don't you?"

While Aoi was mentally preparing himself for the delivery, Kousei looked hesitant to approach the subject. "I don't want to think about that," he said. "I just want to spend time with you, and everyone else, but especially you. Just hang out, make fun of each other; maybe sneak in school at night again."

It sounded so naive. He was a boy who watched too many movies, and ended up fantasizing a life that seemed like one — and in a way, with this ghost business, it did. But Kousei was a fool for ignoring the flow of time just like that. He was a fool for hoping it would end like a movie, where everyone could be happy. "It's not my fault the one guy who catches my eye happens to be a ghost."

And Aoi was a fool for feeling the same way.

"I hope," Kousei hesitated, drawing more triangles Aoi couldn't feel on his hand. "I hope maybe in another life we could be together."

_Tell him._

"I hope so too. We could have been friends," Aoi supplied. The nagging voice was pounding in his head, and when he made an attempt to at least hold Kousei's face in his hand, he could only disappoint himself when it awkwardly passed through Kousei's now embarrassed face.

"I'm-" It was a case of those moments in your life where you weren't sure if you should laugh or cry. Whatever god existed up there was kind enough to let Kousei meet them — expecting something more was selfish in and of itself. "I'm sorry we had to die."

Kousei blinked. 

"What? No! If you stayed alive you would be kinda old by now — and that's just weird," Kousei pouted. "Wait that- not that you dying is a good thing, but-"

It had Aoi giggling. "C'mon, Kou-chan. I get it."

"Kou-chan?!"

Aoi looked surprised himself. He bit his lip. "Is it bad? I wanted to try it out."

Kousei drew back and buried his face in his hands. A muffled groan escaped him as Aoi simply stood there. 

_Tell him—_ We're busy.

"Kou-chan?"

"It's fine-" Kousei's voice was loud and clear, but Aoi found something comical in how he insisted on covering his face. "I'm fine," he settled with that, before lowering his hands and scratching his head nervously. "And the nickname's cute. _You're_ cute." 

" _You're_ disgustingly romantic," Aoi grinned, closing the gap Kousei built between them with a few steps. 

"You're right," he sighed in defeat. 

_Tell him._

"—And you know, this could be the part where we would-" Kousei's eyes were a hesitant amber that looked at Aoi for a minute second. "—we would kiss. Like in the dramas. And it would be either amazing or an epic failure."

Aoi knew what he meant. "I guess we'll never know what it'll be like."

"I wouldn't mind, you know. If the kiss were bad, I mean."

An awkward silence followed, one instigated by Kousei, whose gaze was fixed on the floor. Aoi's would wander to the way Kousei twiddled his thumbs, probably imagining all the different ways things could have happen if they were both just alive.

Aoi wanted to imagine them too; they'd be a sickeningly sweet pair of lovebirds. With Aoi feeding Kousei with a spoon and Kousei delivering cheesy lines he probably wrote on his hand after hearing them from a movie. 

But Aoi's life had passed already, and Kousei's just started. 

_Tell him._

"I have to go," Kousei said suddenly, adjusting his jacket and pulling up his hoodie, all while making his way over to his bag on the floor to swing it over his shoulder. "My mom wants me home, and it's- it's rush hour soon." 

_Tell him._

"Oh."

"This was fun!" Kousei beamed. He took out his water bottle and drank from it, speaking again after he rubbed his lips from whatever remnants escaped his mouth. "I'm.. happy. Even if you said no, because at least I got to tell you, y'know. I'll see you tomorrow, then? You're- you're fading."

_Wait-_

Aoi's body began to fade — just like Minato's did in their little dance practice. Was it the doubt? the fear?

Kousei was already waving and walking away before Aoi could say another word. The last thing he heard from him was appalling. 

"Don't forget about the fireworks, 'kay?"

_So, did you tell him?_

No he didn't.

**Author's Note:**

> im finally done!! i can rest!!!
> 
> quote in the beginning is from taken from angela: queen of hel it inspired me


End file.
